Liden Primary and Nursery School

Liden Primary School Liden Drive, Swindon, SN3 6EX

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 Achievement requires improvement because pupils have not made enough progress over time, particularly in mathematics and writing.  The new programme to teach mathematics is not used effectively by all teachers and pupils do not have enough opportunities to write across a range of subjects.  Teaching is not good enough to make up for inadequate progress in the past to ensure all pupils make the progress of which they are capable.  Teachers do not check pupils’ work in lessons carefully enough and adapt activities if pupils find them too easy or too hard.  Teachers mark work thoroughly but their comments do not help move pupils’ learning forward as much as they could because pupils are not given time to respond.  Pupils are not clear about how the work they complete relates to their longer-term targets.  Middle leaders do not ensure actions for improving teaching are followed up at a later stage to make sure they make a difference.

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

Pupils’ attainment and progress are not tracked in all subjects as well as they are in English and mathematics.

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The school has the following strengths

 Behaviour has improved since the previous inspection and pupils now show positive attitudes to learning and treat each other with great consideration.  A focus on developing reading skills has resulted in a rise in pupils’ achievement in reading.  Senior leaders, including governors, have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and shortcomings. Development plans clearly outline what needs to be done, by whom and in what time frame.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 20 lessons or parts of lessons, one of which was a joint observation with the headteacher. Inspectors observed a range of lessons, including guided reading and phonics (letter patterns and the sounds they represent), and saw each teacher at least once.  Inspectors listened to pupils read, attended an assembly and held meetings with pupils, staff and representatives from the governing body and the local authority.  The inspection team took account of the 19 responses to the online Parent View survey as well as the views of parents and carers they spoke to during the inspection.  Inspectors looked closely at pupils’ work in lessons, as well as work they had completed over time in their books.  The inspection team scrutinised a range of documents including those relating to safeguarding and child protection, the governing body minutes, information relating to pupils’ academic

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Information about this inspection

performance, documents showing how the quality of teaching is evaluated, and logs relating to behaviour and attendance.

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Inspection team

Jeanie Jovanova, Lead inspector Additional inspector Elizabeth Strange Additional inspector Cliff Mainey Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a slightly larger-than-average sized primary school.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs who are supported through school action is similar to the national average. The proportion supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is lower than the national average.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium, additional funding for looked after children, pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children of service families, is average. No pupils in the school are looked after or from service families.  The large majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds. A range of ethnic groups is represented in smaller numbers.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is lower than the national average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations

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Information about this school

for pupils’ attainment and progress.  There have been a number of staff changes since the previous inspection, including a new headteacher.  The school runs a daily breakfast club. There is a pre-school on the same site which is run by external providers and was not subject to inspection at this time. The school hosts a satellite class for the special school on the same site, which is subject to its own inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching so that it is consistently good and more is outstanding so pupils’ achievement rises through ensuring that:  teachers take more careful note of pupils’ learning in lessons in order to be able to reshape tasks for those who are stuck or those who are ready to move on to more difficult activities  pupils learn to measure their success in lessons against their long-term targets so they know how well they are doing overall  pupils are given time to respond to teachers’ marking of their work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Develop the effectiveness of middle leaders in driving improvements in pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching in the areas for which they are responsible by ensuring that:  processes for checking the quality of teaching are tightened so that they result in actions being identified and followed up later  the new programme introduced to teach mathematics is used effectively by all teachers  pupils have more opportunities to write across a range of subjects  progress and attainment are measured as carefully in all subjects as they now are in English and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Achievement requires improvement because pupils have not made enough progress over time, especially in writing and mathematics.  Although standards at the end of Key Stage 1 have risen since the previous inspection, they remain significantly below the national average in writing and mathematics.  By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils have caught up with their peers in English, but standards in mathematics are still significantly below national figures.  Children enter the school with skills at lower levels than those expected of typical four year olds, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics.  The school has worked effectively to improve the teaching of phonics. Consequently, the results in the Year 1 phonic screening check last year were much higher than the national average.  Since the previous inspection, changes have been made to the Early Years Foundation Stage and children now make better progress because activities are carefully planned to develop a range of

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

early skills. For example, placing notepads and books about the lifecycle of the frog next to the tank full of frogspawn encouraged children to search for information and write their own descriptions.  Achievement in reading has improved because the school has focused on building basic skills well by teaching phonics systematically and checking pupils’ progress carefully.  In many classes now, disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are making more progress than their classmates because specialist programmes are carefully chosen to meet their needs well.  Extra staffing, one-to-one tuition, small-group work and funding for educational visits are becoming increasingly effective in meeting the needs of pupils entitled to pupil premium funding. As a result, the two-term gap between those eligible for the pupil premium and their classmates last year, as measured by average points scored in national tests in English and mathematics,

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

has been eliminated this year.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language do as well as other pupils in school because there is a strong emphasis on developing spoken language.  There is no difference between the achievement of pupils from different ethnic groups because the school is committed to promoting equality of opportunity.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Lesson observations and scrutiny of the work in pupils’ books support the school’s records which indicate that teaching is improving. However, there is not enough consistently good teaching, particularly in writing and mathematics, to ensure good achievement over time for all pupils.  Teachers do not always check the progress pupils are making in lessons carefully enough. This means that pupils who are stuck do not get the help they need to succeed and that pupils who finish tasks easily are left with nothing to develop them further.  Since the previous inspection, the school has improved the way pupils’ work is marked. Teachers provide clear criteria for every lesson so that pupils understand what they have to do to achieve success. These criteria are then used by pupils and teachers to check completed work. Pupils are clear that those highlighted in ‘think pink’ indicate the areas they need to work on to move

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

forward in their learning. However, teachers do not give pupils time to respond to the work that has been marked and this limits the effectiveness of the new marking system.  Pupils are not as clear about how success in individual lessons relates to their broader targets. This limits their understanding of their overall progress and their ability to gauge how well they are doing in meeting those targets.  The most effective teaching caters for the needs of all pupils, uses resources well to promote understanding and allows pupils to make great gains in their learning, for example, enabling Year 4 pupils in a mathematics lesson on fractions to tackle problems aimed at Year 5.  Teaching has improved most in the Early Years Foundation Stage where staff use skilful questioning to ensure children get the most out of the stimulating environment they are offered.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils behave well in and around the school. Lunchtimes are orderly and pupils play well with each other, making full use of the good range of activities on offer.  Pupils respond well in lessons, showing a high level of engagement. They work productively in pairs and small groups. In the Early Years Foundation Stage, for example, all children are highly motivated by the fast pace of phonics teaching and get fully involved when asked to read new words or write new letter patterns. Although pupils try hard to stay engaged when teaching is less strong, there is sometimes some off-task behaviour. While this does not disrupt learning, it shows that attitudes are not yet exemplary.  Pupils feel safe at school. They know how to keep themselves safe, being aware, for example, of safe internet usage. Most parents and carers whose views were gathered during the inspection agree that the school keeps their child safe.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils understand what constitutes bullying and say it rarely happens at their school. They have every confidence that teachers would deal with anything were it to happen. They know the school motto is ‘Where Children Matter’ and sincerely believe it to be true. School records, which are well kept and carefully analysed, support pupils’ views that there is very little bullying.  A great deal of care is taken to manage the behaviour of all pupils. The success of the school’s approach is due to pupils being encouraged to make the right choices. A set of simple rules, the school’s ‘Excellent Expectations’, is effective in promoting positive behaviour and ensuring discrimination is not tolerated.  Attendance remains above average and punctuality is good because strategies, such as offering a breakfast club for working parents and carers, support families in ensuring pupils come to school regularly and on time.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 The rate and scope of the improvements made since the previous inspection have not been rapid enough to raise the school’s overall effectiveness to good.  Senior leaders, including governors, have been successful in embedding a vision driven by high expectations that all staff now share. This focus on progress has not yet resulted in good achievement over time for all pupils.  Middle leaders are keen to develop their roles. They make regular checks on the areas for which they have responsibility and have gathered a range of evidence showing where there are strengths and what still needs improving. Currently, any action points identified are not being followed up systematically to make sure they make a difference, which limits the impact in terms of improvements to the quality of teaching or pupils’ achievement.  Achievement in English and mathematics is tracked carefully so middle leaders know how much

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The leadership and management require improvement

progress pupils make year on year. Checks in other subjects are not as thorough so middle leaders do not know exactly how much progress pupils make over time.  Where efforts have been concerted and effective, such as in the teaching of phonics and reading, achievement has improved noticeably. However, other new initiatives have not had the same impact. For example, the new programme for teaching mathematics is not applied consistently by all staff and pupils do not have enough opportunities to develop writing across a range of subjects.  Self-evaluation is accurate and used well to plan for improvement. The robust systems introduced for managing the performance of individual teachers are beginning to show improvement, for example in the quality of provision in Early Years Foundation Stage. However, these are not yet far-reaching enough to undo past underperformance.  The school has worked effectively to improve behaviour since the previous inspection, which has

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The leadership and management require improvement

created conditions more conducive to better learning.  The curriculum is rich, varied and promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. A wide range of after-school clubs, thoughtful assembly themes, imaginative subject content and trips all contribute to broadening pupils’ horizons and ensuring a high level of engagement in all the school has to offer.  The local authority supports the school effectively in a number of ways. Staff access a range of training and regular visits corroborate the improvements that are taking place and validate the school’s judgements of its own performance.  The governance of the school:  Governors have a clear understanding of how the school compares with other schools nationally. They know that improvements are needed to achieve better academic outcomes. Governors are involved in improving the quality of teaching by supporting the headteacher in

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The leadership and management require improvement

setting exacting targets for teachers in their annual performance appraisals. Governors understand the link between pay and performance and reward better teachers accordingly. Conversely, they would not award pay increases where targets are not met. Governors attend training as they know it will equip them with the skills they need to discharge their duties effectively. They keep a tight check on spending by, for example, measuring the impact of initiatives when compared to the cost. They have established that current pupil premium spending is effective because it is eliminating any gaps between the achievement of pupils entitled to it and that of other pupils in the school. Safeguarding requirements are met.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 131901 Local authority Swindon Inspection number 402514

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 298 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Andrew Mundy Headteacher Vikki Marsh-Ballard Date of previous school inspection 6–7 July 2010 Telephone number 01793 531025 Fax number 01793 512487 Email address head@liden-pri.swindon.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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